Conventional artillery systems and in particular 155 mm howitzer artillery weapons systems use energetic primers in their ignition train. Recently, advanced artillery systems have explored the use of laser ignition systems wherein the propellant charge is lased by an emitter positioned in the breech carrier of the artillery.
As can be appreciated, positioning a laser ignition system in the breech of an artillery system presents numerous problems. Among the most difficult of these problems are ones related to making the laser ignition system sufficiently robust to endure the extreme vibrations and shock produced by artillery systems as well as the extreme environmental conditions i.e., heat/cold, wet/dry experienced.